BrandX

That's how I've been playing my time manipulator since before Time Manip

then explain "Wolverine" and "Phoenix"

Went from 70 DPS on using it by itself to 54 using it with Placate. Placate lowers DPS, this is why Electric Melee's is the best for AS when paired with Ninjitsu...

BU -> Caltrops (pet) -> Lightning Rod (pet) -> (back to being hidden by the time animation is over) Assassin Strike

Whichever one I'm playing at the moment! \o/

But from a purely play standpoint, I actually prefere Regen, from my min/max PoV (I really, for me in min/maxing, it's taking a concept build and then IOing it for best performance) however, I find I am not nearly as tough as I am on my WPs

You're right. When I posted that, at the time I was under the impression that using another attack would ruint he combo points, but after playing today and actually paying attention to it (was using Iron Blade as I attacked Red Caps) I saw it didn't stop the combo points.

Just doing a quick check on Ninja Blade...

Placate + AS = 72+ DPS

No other attack does that much DPS in Ninja Blade. Placate + AS is powerful, it's just not worth it to use because you can't pull it off reliably, and are more likely to just waste the end on an interrupted attack or a waste time with a wasted placate.

And by allowing it to take ranged enhancements, it becomes a ranged attack with a 7ft range and the ability to increase it.

I really don't care either way, but I also dont have any problems with it taking Targetted AOE sets. However, if it took PBAOE sets, then why keep it targetted?

And yet I've only ever used SS twice, SJ twice, Teleport three times (but only 1 didn't also have hover/fly), and the rest have been Fliers untill Ninja Run came out, which I might teamw ith hover.

Sooo...not everyone cares about going with what's best. I know I hear a lot that SS is the best travel, and yet, I hate it (not as much as teleport though...that power needs some love)

Last I knew, it had some of the best DPS, the problem is getting that attack off.

AVs can interrupt your softcapped stalker easy enough (at least that was my experience) by attacking while placating or while activating AS.

So you either lost time in attacking (interrupted AS) or you just wasted a good chunk of END for an attack that isn't getting the best DPS now, because the enemy wasnt placated (interrupted placate).

I had this problem on Maurader, Chimera and Nightstar on my KM/WP Stalker. I found I soloing Maurder and Chimera without AS being the best option, while Nightstar I just couldn't get bast her defenses :/

So yes, AS = AWESOME, making real use of it = NOT SO AWESOME!

I don't know, I know plenty of people in game who like it. Could just be a min/max thing.

However, I do know more people wish they could take it after taking 1 power instead of 2.

Maybe Teleport then I take Zone teleport. Maybe I don't care for Recall or Teleport Foe.

I think this is what I'd prefere, especially so I can fit in such powers. The problem with pool powers has always been (for the most part anyways), that you have to take 1 unneeded power to take the ones you want. Maybe just for the travel power pools they could make it so you have to take 1 of the first 4, THEN you can take the 5th power at lvl 14.

So then the devs could fix this whole thing by allowing Spinning Strike to accept range enhancements.

Which if enhanced to that point would give it at most a (thinking with Incarnate powers added in) it seems roughly 12ft.

Slot in Ragnarok then?

Combat Readiness doesn't give the normal 100% damage on build up that Scrappers have.

I'm sure throwing Gloom into the attack chain on Brutes and Tankers is a good idea. But not if it means lowering the combo level.

Maybe HB-SB-HB-CU-Gloom. And I'd still think throwing in a CR-SC back intot he attack chain is probably better for dps, as lvl 3 SC is better DPS than HB.

Not using CU at lvl 3 on the Combo system, makes it a better DPS?

That chain you posted is about 144 DPS. Replacing RC with SB will increase DPS to 147. And figuring a -Resist Proc in SB, you might be better off without RC, as it's -Resist is only 7.5%, BUT it is an always thing (I believe), so it might be worth keeping in.

However with that chain, if possible might be worth replacing HB-RC-HB with Combat Readiness, when it's up.

Obviously not a big loss on the DPS, and the string you posted has a much easier time on the RCH requirement.

[EDIT] But remember what I said, Combo Level 3 Finishers for Sweeping Cross and Spinning Strike all OUT DPS Heavy Blow, Initial Strike, and Rib Cracker.

130 (Spinning Strike) and 136 (Sweeping Cross) VS Heavy Blow with the best DPA of 120.

Bubble Charge would of at least made Spines/Shields, Claw/Shields, Katana/Shields, and Dual Blade/Shields a possibility.

I'm pretty sure...

Rib Cracker - Shin Breaker - Initial Strike (or Heavy Blow) is just impossible to run, with the recharge cap. Both of those chains would require Crushing Uppercut to recharge in under 5 seconds. With a 25 second recharge on CU, I don't think you can get it that low.

Now something for Brutes to possibly consider is an attack chain that goes Gloom -> 3 Combo Builders -> CU -> Repeat. Getting Gloom's high DPA without sacrificing a combo builder point.

Also, something else one would likely want to do is go the route of...

3 Combo Builders -> (we'll just use...) CU (...as an example) -> Repeat UNTILL Combat Readiness is recharged, and throw in Combat Readiness -> Sweeping Cross or Spinning Strike before returning to the regular attack string.

You don't want to waste the 3 Combo Builder points CR is giving you, howeverr Sweeping Cross or Spinning Strike both have higher DPA's than every combo builder attack EXCEPT Shin Breaker.

And the +Damage Buff will last into at least the second attack of the attack string after it's been run once.

Now Sweeping Cross is the better DPS attack, but not by a lot, and Spinning Strike might pull a head in use as it's more AOE, and less likely to be skipped than Sweeping Cross in tight builds.

Either way, when you obtain that ST DPS string, it looks like you'll want to throw in one of the other finishers when you hit CR, to not waste the Build Combo points, and I think that increases your DPS as well, since you're throwing in a better DPS attack into the chain.

Still haven't figured out the best DPS chain though myself, and I'm thinking it will use 4 Combo attacks before using CU in it...likely...

RC -> HB -> SB -> HB -> CU -> Repeat (placing the RC with the CR -> Sweeping Cross, when CR recharges, as I don't think it's 7.5% -Resist will be that much of a factor, but if it is, HB-RC-HB-SC-CU and replace the first HB.).

But that chain requires CU to recharge in 5.808 seconds...which is possible, but not an easy feat at all, and not very likely...sooo...

SB -> RC -> HB -> SB -> HB -> CU -> Repeat (replacing HB or RC with CR + #2 Finisher, depending onhow much a factor the -Resist in RC is).

SB would need to recharge in 2.904 seconds, which is easy enough to achieve. This also make is so CU needs to recharge in 7.392 Seconds (which is easy enough to achieve).

This is roughly (with 99% DMG slotting) 151 DPS, not accounting for Procs or CR's -Resist, and with the use of replacing HB or RC with CR + 2nd Finisher...the DPS will be a bit more than 151 of course, I just don't know how much more.

-Resist Proc in SB for sure, and likely with the Purple Proc as you can five slot that set into the attack.

...all in all, I believe MA still has better ST DPS with just SK-CS-SK-EC sans the procs...with the procs in effect, harder for me to say.

[EDIT] My math could be completely off...I just don't think it is.

Why wasn't it implemented? How early/late into Beta was it suggested? I only got into Beta with only a few days to test StJ so didn't even get to really check it out, and even then I went Scrapper, as I was planning StJ/Regen and imo Scrapper was the only way to go with that combo.

I requested a Bubble Shield effect for the set! Same stats, but puts you in a bubble akin to Force Field Bubbles, and can still be a "shield"

Now...I'd just like a Hybrid set of Regen and SR to make me happy.

At level 48, I was getting 1 1/2 bars of xp on the Sewer Trial, per run. For something rather easy, I found that to be quite a bit of xp.

I basically used it when I got done with whatever I was doing and seeing I had 1-3 bars till level..."Oooo! Sewer Trial for instant team!"

This is why I hope they don't!

A lot of the requests for this change in IO sets seems to be "Targeted AOE sets suck! Make it so I can slot PBAOE sets, which give me the set bonuses I want."

That said, can the range of Spinning Strike be increased by the range increasing set IOs? If so, that doesn't sound that bad to me, even if it might not be that useful.

No they're not leeching. They may not be contributing as much as other members of the team, but not leeching, though slotting for knockback could be hurting/slowing down the team.